Throughout the process of creating this magazine, our goal was to create digestible content concerning the intricate system behind food production. We learned that a number of components help bring food to your favorite restaurant’s table - from harvesting to transport, education, and more. This magazine highlights a deeper understanding of the supply chain and network within the food industry, and we’ve enjoyed putting it all together!
In summary, we would also like to thank Ms. Zamora for her invaluable advice and support throughout this project.
Enjoy!
Clara Mengoli is currently a freshman at LASA. She participates in many extracurriculars, including lacrosse, debate, and choir. From a young age, she’s been constantly taking into consideration what activities are beneficial for her future, and chooses accordingly. As she has always had a passion for insight, she decided to shine a light on the education in the culinary industry, as oftentimes it’s a forgotten process of the craft. She loves the designing aspect of E-zine, as she has an art background and loves creating art. As an aspiring law student, she decided to come to LASA for its diverse electives/programslike speech and debate- and quality teachers. Overall, she’s excited to be at LASA and is always looking forward to paths and opportunities in her life!
Elliot Semar is a freshman at Liberal Arts and Science Academy. In his free time, he participates in many extracurricular activities such as bike rides, camping, and playing video games. Elliot was deeply motivated to attend LASA because it meant not attending Bowie. So far, Ezine has taught him invaluable skills that can be applied in the real world, and he believes the learning environment has fostered growth and productivity. Elliot plans to continue his education throughout college and possibly become a software engineer, a career that aligns with his current interests and work ethic. He is excited to share the story of local farms and food distributors in Austin with the LASA community!
Sean Lin is a freshman at LASA. Sean enjoys playing baseball, and has been doing so for 10 years. He also plays saxophone for the LASA band and marching band. Sean’s topic for this magazine is the financial aspects of the restaurant industry. He is really enjoying Ezine so far, because it’s much more chill than SciTech, an engineering course at LASA. After his high school career, Sean aims to go to college for computer science or business. He wants the readers to know that he loves learning about interesting, weird subjects, and that he loves talking.
Owen Huels is a highschool freshman who goes to LASA. Owen loves playing ultimate frisbee and is the best freshman on the frisbee team. He also enjoys playing video games and participating in Cyber Patriot, a computer science event. He is writing about how fresh produce and foods are transported from place to place without spoiling. There is a lot of interesting components that go into keeping food fresh until it gets to your plate. He chose to go to LASA because he really enjoys math and they have a lot of advanced math classes and other advanced courses. After Owen graduates from LASA he is going to go to college and study something in business or economics. He would also want to major in something related to data science.
Amir Regan is a freshman at LASA. When he isn’t busy with his studious habits, he enjoys playing beautiful melodies on his piano. In combination with his musical talents, Amir is also an experienced swimmer. On top of these two impressive activities, he also enjoys cooking and baking. His extracurriculars and fine art skill make him a very will rounded person. To supplement his already rich learning experience, he wants to know more about how restaurants source their food. In his Ezine magazine, he will write an interesting story on restaurant management and food sourcing. Ezine is a fun class to Amir because he is interested in graphic design and interviewing people. Amir says that he will definitely go to college after highschool.
Image of a cloudy field. Wikimedia Commons
Have you ever wondered who grows the food you find at restaurants, or how it is grown? The answer is surprisingly complicated. Restaurants can either source their food locally or import it from producers all over the country. Though many restaurants choose the latter option, some local restaurants prefer to buy their food from the various local farms and farmers’ markets in the Austin area.
Boggy Creek Farm is one such farm. It has many innovative practices that turn a environmentally harmful industry into a wholesome and regenerative process. One of several practices that Boggy Creek follows is its no-till farming. Most companies till their farms to increase the rate that . However, this process can be harmful over long periods of time, often resulting in decreased soil nutrition and increased erosion. Without a strong root system or firmly packed soil, a lot of sediment is carried away in runoff. Additionally, excess fertilizer used on most farms will overflow into nearby streams and ponds, causing massive ecological
damage.
Boggy Creek’s no-till farming method is simple, but highly effective. Tarps cover most of the field, save for long strips cut out to allow plants to grow. The tarps act as composters that decompose any weeds that thrived prior to covering the area. They do not overheat the field or disturb the soil, which is Boggy Creek’s primary goal.
Being environmentally friendly is a high priority target, so the farm does not use excessive amounts of pesticides or fertilizers. Pesticides are harmful to the environment, but without them there is an added danger of losing crops to parasites and pests. As a result, Boggy Creek and other farms have had to invent new solutions to combat these unrelenting insects. Each pest treatment is different, but all are equally necessary to get the most from the plants. In extreme cases, farms may have to perform surgery on squash plants, or burn bugs off of broccoli. In Austin, crops can be affected by squash vine borers, harlequin bugs, stink bugs, and Elliot
Semarfor
trees. But they are gonna ask us for water in order to keep it going to get strong roots.
various other small pests. With proper care, pesticides aren’t required to maintain a healthy and successful farm.
helps out at her dad’s family farm, which sells twice a week at several different farmers markets in Austin. Caldwell’s father takes pride in the products they sell. From hibiscus honey to butterhead lettuce, the inventory that they have is different based on season and what is in demand. “He really educates people,” Caldwell said, “A lot of peo-
Many small farms sell at farmers markets, often several times a week. They sell many types of goods, including vegetables, fruits, nuts, meats, as well as various animal products. Farmers markets can be a great place to buy niche products and organic food grown by passionate small farms, and they also foster an environment for social growth.
Priscilla Caldwell is a school teacher who also
ple want to grow their own food. And so he’s like this, just, he’s got this wealth of knowledge.” He is a strong supporter of small farms, and is always willing to talk about it. Whether it’s just talking or helping others get started in the business, he’s always willing to go the extra mile.
In Austin, most small
“People like to come to the farmers market because they like the environment, not only because they need to buy groceries”
businesses have substantial amounts of competition, but for farms, it’s a different story. “We did have another farm that was competition, but something happened and he went out of business suddenly.”
Local farming is a tightly knit community, meaning most farms can get started without any rivalry between competitors. While small farms only consist of a minor portion of the farming industry, their role within it is crucial.
Goods from farmers markets are usually higher quality and ethically sourced. However, these major benefits come with a price. The food sold at lo-
Nuts on a log. Thanks to Wikimedia Commons“No, no I don’t have to use fertilizer
planted
- Mr. Ben
- Tracy Geyer
cal supermarkets are much cheaper than the artisan products that local farmers produce. Foods from farmers markets are much more expensive, but unlike a corporate seller, they grow and make all products themselves, and have to rely on higher sale prices to keep themselves afloat. In combination with the lack of
business that COVID brought on
During the COVID-19 outbreak, people sheltered themselves in their homes. On the rare occasion that they did leave, it was usually for a quick grocery run. Farmers markets bustling with people and unpackaged foods became the perfect place to spread the virus. Boggy Creek and many other farms struggled during this time. Even though COVID-19 has mostly passed, small farms are still fragile, recovering from the economic nightmare that the
epidemic brought.
Though agricultural industry is massive, small farms are the future for environmentally friendly farming. Whether it’s a family farm selling unique products or a community trying to make a difference, local farms play a crucial part in society and the economy.
Sprouts in a field. Credit to Pixabay
“I’ve been coming to the farmers market since I was 10. Since they first started in Austin.”
- Priscilla Caldwell
Step 2: Take your whetstone, and add a generous amount of water. Be carefull though, some whetstones require special oil instead. Once your stone is properly whetted, slowly push the blade across, holding at the same angle as the bevel making sure to get all of the edge in each pull. Repeat this step 5-15 times or until
Step 3: Sharpen the other side. Follow the same sharpening step but repeat them on the opposite side of the blade. Your whetstone may need more water or oil.
You will need a few simple items to turn your blade from dull trash to a razor sharp tool.
1. A whetstone
2. A dull knife
3. A leather cloth
Step 5: Dry the knife with a leather cloth. start from the back of the blade, and pull towards the edge. This helps to polish the blade as well as increase sharpness
Food is a necessity without which we would starve. Without grocery stores, restaurants, and other food services, we wouldn’t be able to get it. However, these businesses don’t just get their products from thin air. Food transportation and processing are vital to the industry, and without them the entire system would collapse.
Food processing consists of everything that occurs from when food is harvest-
ed up until it’s loaded onto a truck to be shipped out. This involves cleaning, sorting, packaging, and other processes that are so often overlooked. During processing, companies ensure that your food is and will be safe throughout the rest of its journey, because once it’s out of their hands, it’s no longer in their control. Transportation involves getting food from point A to point B as quickly, safely, and affordably as possible. Without efficient transport
systems in place, food can spoil easily. That’s why it’s imperative that people recognize the importance of the food transportation industry.
Before food is transported, it must be packaged and processed. If food isn’t properly secured before it goes off on its way,there’s no knowing what might happen to it. While there are many ways in which food can be packaged, critical differences between them
Eggs being processed and prepared for transport at Vital Farms. Image courtesy of Russell Diez-Cansecohelp companies to determine their applicability.
Professor Keshavan Niranjan of the University of Reading, a public university in England, said, “[Plastic] is a great material to store food and, in fact, plastics have helped us reduce food wastage.”
You can’t have one packaging for all kinds of foods. It’s a kind of horses for courses. But, if you want a generic solution, then plastics tend to give the longest shelf life.
- Professor NiranjanCompanies across all industries are always looking for ways to cut costs. However, doing so often comes at an environmental cost as well. Due to their lack of biodegradability and
impact on animal welfare, Professor Niranjan is confident that “it’s not desirable to have plastics in the food chain.” Moving away from this environmentally unsustainable plastic packaging is ideal, but it’s going to be a challenge. Professor Niranjan stated, “There are what companies call biodegradable materials and compostable materials… However, such materials are not fully functional yet and they don’t have many applications,” and, “As of now, these materials are more or less in the infancy of development and I’m hoping that these materials will become functional and much better in due course.”
After the food is ready to go, it’s free to be shipped out on its merry way. Depending on that food’s target location, there
are major changes in how transportation companies organize, quantify, and time their shipments.
When offering services to large businesses such as HEB, the power is in the customer’s hands. Russell Diez-Canseco, CEO of Vital Farms, said, “For most of the big grocery stores, we go to the grocery chain and we say, here are some eggs we have, and here is why we think you should carry them in your stores, would you like them? They say, okay, we’d like to put them in our stores, and then we say… we can deliver directly to your warehouse, or if you prefer, we can sell it to a distributor that you’ve already worked with.”
Due to their large volume of sales and items, it’s much easier for large busi-
nesses to convince transport companies to carry products they want.
On the other hand, restaurants don’t have the same influence over these transport companies. Diez-Canseco stated, “What’s different about restaurants is because each of those little restaurants is so small I can’t go to the restaurant, ask them if they want our eggs, they say yes, and then I say how do you want us to get them to you, and they say well my distributor is Sysco. They don’t have any pull with Sysco… unless they’re McDonald’s, to force Sysco to bring our eggs to them.”
Individual restaurants don’t conduct enough business on their own to force distributors like Sysco to carry certain products. As a result, it isn’t easy for restaurants to just add something new to their menu or change the ingredients that they’re using.
Weather and climate also has a massive effect on what foods different companies can and cannot transport. “The nature of chemical reaction is that at lower temperatures, chemi-
cal reactions generally take place much more slowly,” said Professor Niranjan, “At higher temperatures, they take place much faster. And therefore, the tendency to degrade is generally higher at higher temperatures.”
Degraded food isn’t safe for consumption, so companies must be very careful to ensure that their products are transported at the correct temperature. “The USDA says the eggs must always be stored and transported in an environment that is below 45 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Diez-Canseco. Quality control isn’t the only reason close moni-
We can make it work better if we could do a better job of planning their routes so that they could be more efficient and they could make sure to always fill up their trucks before they drove back to the warehouse. We could help train their drivers so that they treated our farmers well.
- Russell Diez-Cansecotoring of the temperature is important, legal trouble isn’t out of the question if they fail to comply with correct procedures.
Transportation companies have many special ways in which they deal with the temperature issue. According to DW Distribution CEO and Frozen Logistics board member Nathan Potter, Frozen Logistics “made the decision to invest in [their] own dry ice machine. So [they’re] manufacturing dry ice on site, which turns out to be a huge competitive advantage. And not only on cost, but also on service.”
Having dry ice readily available is a great way to keep food cold.
However, controlling the temperature isn’t the only factor that helps keep food fresh. “You’ve got to make it windy in your cooler so that the eggs get more and more cold air exposure, so that they aren’t creating pockets of warm air around them that keep them from cooling down,” explained Diez-Canseco.
Without regulating cold air flow to reach each and every item that is being carried, air can concentrate in certain areas, leaving some of the food to grow warmer and warmer.
As proven by household
pantries, food can spoil if it isn’t eaten within a certain period of time. Every day your food stays in transport is a day that it could have spent on grocery store shelves or at your house. Diez-Canseco said, “I took three or four days to get it to them. They could take up to a week in the warehouse, and now it’s going to a grocery store. Now the egg is on the shelf, it’s now 11 or 12 days old, and it says so on the carton, by the way, this was packed 12 days ago. And now they have 18 more days to sell it. After that, they have to throw it away.” Businesses have strict deadlines as to when they want their food, otherwise they won’t be able to sell it to a customer with a reasonable lifetime left.
Similar to temperature, the government has regulations on time until consumption that can cost transportation companies big if they don’t follow them. According to Diez-Canseco, it’s also a challenge because laws differ between states, so depending on where they’re shipping to the timeline can vary: “The federal requirement is your sell-by date can be no longer than 45
days from the day you put them in the carton. But some states have more restrictive requirements. Arizona, up until recently, had 24
nology are in a powerful position to influence prices in their favor.
days. California has 30 days. Texas has 45 days.”
The food transport industry differs from other transport industries because the supply of vehicles is much more limited. Potter stated, “Frozen Logistics can pick and choose who they want to partner with, and really can seek and develop long term customer relationships, because if there’s 25 people that need your services, but you’ve only got to pick three, you’re going to pick the three that are going to be the best fit in terms of customers on a long term standpoint.”
There’s only a certain number of trucks which utilize cooling equipment suited to transport food, so companies with that tech-
At the end of the day, the goal of processing and transport is to make the lives of consumers easier. Diez-Canseco puts it best: “Perishable items, what we’re all trying to do is make sure that the shopper at the grocery store gets the freshest, highest quality food that they can find.” The next time you reach into your refrigerator or the grocery store shelves, think about all the amazing things that occur to get that food into your hands.
Packaging center for Vital Farms products in Missouri. Image courtesy of Russell Diez-Canseco.Your food is harvested! This represents day 0 of its journey.
How long does it take for food to go bad? Is it safe to eat those week old leftovers? Find out whether your food is likely spoiled or not with this handy timeline!
Your food has reached market! This is everything a restaurant, to a grocery or your school cafeteria!
Your food has reached its first stop! This is probably a distribution center, from which it will soon be sent off to be sold elsewhere.
reached the everything from grocery store, cafeteria!
Your food is spoiled! This is about the longest perishable food can last. 20 10 15 Owen
Huels
Food transportation is an essential aspect of the restaurant industry, particularly in a growing city like Austin. With its growing population and diverse culinary scene, ensuring that food is transported cautiously, effectively, and in a timely manner is crucial for restaurants so they can meet customer demands and maintain their reputation.
Austin is known for its food trucks, BBQ joints, and farm-
Tacodeli Tacos, courtesy Guajillo Studios
to-table restaurants, all of which rely heavily on food transportation to maintain an efficient business. The transportation of food from suppliers to restaurants a vital in getting a tray of BBQ in front of you, and it’s important that it’s done correctly. This involves ensuring that the food is properly packaged, labeled, and stored at the correct temperature during transportation to maintain freshness and quality.
Trucking dominates the food transportation industry, but COVID and rising gas prices have hit this industry hard. Kelly Shin is a sales manager at Mr. Greens produce.
Four years ago to get one semi from California to here filled with produce was about 8,000. Today, four years later, it’s about 14,000 just to get the produce from California.
- Kelly ShinDue to this extreme inflation, restaurants have resorted to buying lower-quality ingredients located closer to their restaurants. For instance, the Austin local Sour Duck Market sources eggs from Milagro farms, milk from Mill King, local veggies from Farm to Table, dried goods from Labatt food service, and specialty flour from Barton Springs Mill, all of which are based in Texas.
lenges, food transportation companies in Austin use equipment and employ trained drivers and handlers. Refrigerated vehicles are equipped with temperature sensors and monitoring systems to ensure that the goods remain at the required temperature throughout transportation. Drivers and handlers receive specialized training to handle perishable goods safely, and vehicles are equipped with loading docks and other specialized equipment to minimize the risk of damage during loading and unloading.
and then they go in our big walk-in cooler and we go from there.”
Additionally, transportation of perishable goods such as meat, dairy, and produce requires specialized equipment and handling. In Austin, temperatures can soar during the summer months, making transporting perishable goods in refrigerated vehicles crucial to ensure they remain fresh and safe to eat. Proper handling during loading and unloading is important to prevent damage to the goods. To address these chal-
Once the food arrives at the restaurant, it’s important to have a system in place to ensure that it’s properly stored and used before its expiration date. For easily spoiling items such as meat and dairy products, it’s essential to always keep them refrigerated to prevent spoilage and potential health hazards. Sourduck and Odd duck are local sister restaurants in Austin. Mark Buley, operating partner at Sourduck and Odd duck says that “Every week they deliver a certain amount of eggs and they’re tucked in,
To ensure food transportation runs smoothly, many restaurants in Austin work with third-party logistics companies that work in food transportation. One such company is Farm to Table, a leading produce distributor that provides fresh, high-quality produce to restaurants throughout Austin. They offer a variety of services, including food transportation and inventory management, which help restaurants streamline their supply chains and manage their inventory more efficiently.
Tacodeli, a local fast casual restaurant, has been sourcing its ingredients from Texas farms since its inception.
We take pride in our high quality ingredients- this means seeking out brands that are natural, pastureraised, small batch, non-gmo, etc. Many of our ingredients are from our great state of Texas.
- Emily Burton, Marketing Coordinator at TacodeliTrucks are ruling the world right now when it comes to costs truck drivers are demanding a certain price because it’s just so hard to get trucks and drivers available.
- Kelly Shin
Tragically, Tacodeli was struck by COVID in a manner similar to many other businesses. “COVID really puts a strain on the supply chain. Businesses had to close and lay off people. Production was shut down as a result, and it was harder to get product,” Emily Burton says. Even in Texas, businesses have been forced to lay off workers, halting production and preventing the restaurant industry from thriving. Asa a result, approximately 280 billion dollars of revenue in the restaurant industry has been lost due to worker shortages from
Odd Duck, sister restaurants to Odd Duck, uses high quality ingredients. Odd Duck is a formal restaurant
that only serves dinner, while Sour Duck Market is open for lunch and has an outdoor patio seating area. The difference in ingredients between these two restaurants is similar but allows major cost differences, yet both maintain eco-friendly practices.
Environmental sustainability is increasingly becoming an important consideration in food transportation. In Austin, where the city’s population is growing rapidly, transportation emissions are a large contributor to air pollution and climate change. In order
COVID.
Sour Duck Market Pastries, courtesy of Eater.com
“At Odd Duck we tend to use the best possible quality ingredients because the clientele is much less price sensitive. And then at Sourd Duck we try to get very, very good ingredients, but they’re usually a market level down from what we’re using at Odd Duck.
- Mark Buley
to reduce their environmental impact, food transportation companies in Austin are adopting sustainable practices. Some companies are transitioning to electric or hybrid vehicles to diminish emissions. Others are implementing practices such as route optimization and vehicle maintenance to reduce fuel consumption. Other companies are partnering with local farms and producers to mitigate the environ-
mental impact of ingredient sourcing by promoting sustainable farming practices.
Regardless of the method used, food transportation is an essential part of the restaurant industry in Austin, and one that requires careful attention to detail and a commitment to food safety. By working with trusted logistics companies and implementing strict storage and handling protocols, restaurants can ensure that their food is transported safely, efficiently, and with the highest levels of quality and freshness.
Mr. Greens produce trucks, courtesy of Mr. GreensA note from Sour Duck Market, We try to always keep a donut on the menu and, for this one, pastry chef Suzie Querejazu wanted to reimagine the carrot cake she enjoyed each year for her birthday while growing up. Cajeta takes the place of sweetened condensed milk, which her dad always kept in the fridge, ready to spoon onto just about anything. Have your mom try before serving!
Process 85 g of carrots in a food processor until a salsa like consistency. is achieved.
In a stand mixer, combine the oil, egg, 125 g sugar and processed carrots. Beat with paddle attatchment on speed 1 for 2 minutes.
Put wet ingredients in food processor and sift in flour, baking powder, 1.5 g cinnamon, 3.5 g baking soda, salt and nutmeg, then pulse in processor until homogenous.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Let chill for at least 1 hour.
Chop 165 g of carrots into chunks. Cook with 12 g of sugar, 10 g of butter, water, 1 g of cinnamon, and ginger in a saucepan over medium heat for 20 minutes, covered.
Preheat oven to 300 F. Melt butter and sugar in a sauté pan. Add in the pecans and cook untill combined.
Roll dough to ½-inch thick on a floured surface. Use a donut cutter or two round presses (one 3-inch, one 1 ¼-inch) to cut donuts.
Spread on a non-stick baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees F until toasty. Once cool, process into granola sized pieces and store in an airtight container.
Remove tender carrot mixture from heat, blend the dog shit out of it and season with honey to taste. Chill.
Dissolve the baking soda into water. Bring the goat milk and sugar up to a boil. Whisk in soda water mixture and cook down untill caramel colored.
11)
Fry donut for 2 minutes on each side at 350 degrees F. Drain on paper towels,
Glaze with a thin coat of cajeta and place in a small bowl. Fill the donut hole with 1 ounce of carrot butter using a pastry bag. Garnish with buttered pecans.
n a classical brick building, Austin chefs are immersed in their work, preparing intricate meals to be tasted by customers and critics alike. The spacious walls are filled with shiny metal appliances, as the aroma of baked pastries, seared meats, and fresh produce lingers in the air. A lead chef surveys the commotion, giving instructions and advice as dishes receive their final touches. But, this isn’t a restaurant, it’s a school. Between sessions in the kitchen, students filter through the campus in telltale red attire. One of these students, Cage Smith, detailed his experience attending the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. He explained that “the first couple days are just like the first day of any school, it’s nerve racking a lot of the time, and like high school, it took a while to get comfortable.”
Fortunately, Smith acclimated well thanks to the welcoming environment Escoffier fosters. “You’re in
your class with anywhere between ten to about sixteen people, you get the opportunity to make a lot of friends, and it’s fun, you get to trade recipes, maybe even work with some people at a restaurant,” Smith said, regarding Escoffier’s curriculum. During the sixty-week Associate of Applied Science Degree Program in Culinary Arts at Escoffier, students explore a variety of culinary industry roles in settings such as restaurants, country clubs, resorts, hotels, and many other food service opportunities. The program aims to provide a foundational set of skills in food service preparation, operations, and
Additionally, the aspiring chefs have the opportunity to work on local farms and fulfill Escoffier’s traditional Farm to Table Experience, a six-week endeavor. The Farm to Table Experience focuses on the value and importance of sourcing ingredients and the connection between producers and the table. Furthermore, students continue their trajectory from culinary basics to regional and classical cuisines via a required externship component. Over a span of twelve weeks, the mentees work in real industry environments to reinforce their culinary theory and prepare for their
journey into the culinary industry.
While culinary school offers many benefits, it can be difficult for students to afford programs which vary in length from a few months to an entire four years. According to Shawn Cirkiel, the Chef-Owner of Parkside Projects and alumni of the Culinary Institute of America, wages in the hospitality industry aren’t always “matched up with what is paid for school, and that’s slowly changing.” As a result of financial difficul-
ties or other complications, many students opt to pursue their culinary education through more active means instead. Jack Gilmore, Owner of Jack Allen’s Kitchen and Salt Traders, is a prime example of this. “I just skipped school and went right to work with some really solid people,” Gilmore said, who was trained by three German MasterChefs, MasterChefs being the highest level of certification a chef can receive. Gilmore’s mentorship experience gave him “all the tools that [he] need-
ed” in order to enter the workforce and eventually manage seven restaurants. Given his unique education, Gilmore is inclined to look for enthusiasm rather than experience when hiring new candidates.
When I look for passion, I look for somebody who doesn’t just want to follow directions but somebody who wants to be a leader, someone who wants to be a chef.
- Jack Gilmore
“The first question I ask somebody in an interview is ‘I want you to describe the best meal you’ve ever had’,” Gilmore said, “now, how do you do better than that.” He believes that motivated and inspired chefs will perform best in the kitchen, and by engaging his interviewees and challenging them to recreate their favorite dishes on a daily basis, he can appropriately place applicants in a job that fits their strengths.
Cirkiel, whose hiring team’s goal is to “find people who care, who want to get better and who want to be a part of something,” shares a similar opinion. While the necessary talents and specialized skills will differ depending on the position, Cirkiel aims to employ “people who can grow.” Formal education often takes less precedence, and many head chefs value personality and personal incentive over traditional experience in the hopes of cultivating innovation. Not only are these qualities prevalent in potential staff, but they constantly inspire their employers as
well.
For many chefs, seeing the joy and laughter of customers is one of the most fulfilling parts of the job, especially when working hours can become unpredictable or hard to manage.
“It used to be that in hospitality it was very much based on how hardcore you could be,” Cirkiel explained, and the “old fashioned chef’s life” often constituted working 6-7 days a week. While Cirkiel and Gilmore
If my goal is to have a better quality of life at home, then I can create it myself by hiring the right people and training them correctly.
- Jack Gilmoreaim to reduce stress for their staff and generally avoid asking extra of their employees, it’s “still a lot of nights, so that is definitely a lifestyle adjustment for some people.”
Tactics to maintain a healthy work-life balance can vary between chefs. Gilmore invests much “ef-
fort into getting the right people and putting the time up front with them, so that when you do hand off the keys and the baton, they’re ready to go.” Smith, who studies in a content-condensed culinary program that can be overwhelming at times, advocates for asking questions and “making the move, being selfish and doing what you need to to make yourself happy.” Ultimately, Gilmore believes that, in terms of time management, “everybody can control their destiny, it just depends on what they’re after.”
Whether practicing technique in a classical brick building or training under the instruction of three German MasterChefs, Austin alimenters are constantly shifting perspectives and exploring the industry. In the case of Escoffier students, they continue to adapt and learn through externships in the last twelve weeks of the Associate Degree in Culinary Arts program. As the final week of Escoffier brings his time as a student to a close, Smith is “excited to take what [he’s] learned out into the industry.”
Other Majors
General Studies
Hospitality Management
I’ve been in the business long
enough to know there’s certain people who should go to culinary school and some people who shouldn’t. Culinary school is a great foundation, but at the end of the day you still have to continue your education after all is said and done.
- Jack GilmoreFast food workers carry a variety of responsibilities such as calculating basic math, customer service interactions, and implementing food safety procedures. Training is generally quick and non-intensive, and requirements for employment are low, correlating to the low hourly wage. In contrast, restaurants require chefs and employees working in the kitchen to possess skills and accomplishments such as a culinary school degree/diploma, past experience as a working chef, advanced knowledge of the culinary arts, advanced sanitation and quality control, portfolio of creative, unique dishes, and expert multitasking ability. This isn’t to say that fast food workers can’t possess these qualities, but it generally isn’t a requirement when it comes to their area of expertise.
Bachelor’s
Imagine you’re working at a restaurant, barely scraping by with the amount of money you’re getting paid, penny pinching to save from your meager paycheck. With your savings account getting emptier and emptier, your 9-5 is your only source of income. Your lifeline seems to be holding on, then- BAM! COVID hits, and mass shutdowns occur throughout the country. Out of a job, seeing the end of your savings, you spend the rest of the lockdown eating scraps out of your parents’ fridge. Finally, the lockdown ends and you decide to grab some fast food for the first time in ages just to find exorbitant prices! $10 for a burger and fries, $20 for a large pizza. You look in your wallet to find a lack of bills above a five. You barely scrape together enough to
pay for an order of fries and a soda, then slump off to eat in a booth all alone. This scenario may be hypothetical, but it’s an experience many Americans have undergone in the past few years.
The COVID-19 pandemic started a domino effect that has rippled throughout the American economy. Supply chain issues caused by overloaded ports, inflation due to skyrocketing demand compared to supply, a post pandemic labor shortage, and all sorts of other problems. These have created increasingly high prices in both the restaurant industry and all retail.The result has been catastrophic, with wallet-gouging purchases becoming commonplace. With many products and services becoming more expensive, wages feel exceedingly insufficient by the day. Fur-
thermore, Consumers aren’t the only ones feeling distraught over surging costs. Chris Logue has been a manager at Pinthouse Pizza for the past four years. Regarding costs, Logue describes his experience over this time : “I’ve been here for years and we’ve put our price up a couple of times before now- we’ve had to raise the prices to keep up with everything. Especially since certain products we use have gone up a lot.” Despite the price hikes, Chris is thankful that the financial situation at Pinthouse is still relatively tame: “I think we’re lucky that we were already able to raise our prices since they were already pretty low. Thankfully, most people have been pretty understanding with the price raises, so it hasn’t affected business too, too much.” Additionally, Pinthouse benefits from the fact that they’re a brewpub, which means their license requires them to have 51% or more sales in food, and in return, they’re allowed to sell alcohol. Beer has a higher profit margin than food, so they’re able to withstand more disruptions in their business before any issues occur.
However, some businesses can’t afford the leisure of raising prices that Pinthouse can. Shirley Yang co-owns a food truck, Song La, along with her husband. They first opened in the UT co-op during 2015, and now they operate and are located inThicket Food Trailer Park. All of the rising costs recently haven’t treated their business kindly. “We’ve been considering for the past two years if we wanted to close the business because of the recent price increases in the economy. Since, the prices of ingredients have been getting higher and higher, it’s been harder to do business,” Yang explains, “if we go any higher in our price, we’ll be selling food at restaurant prices, but we aren’t a restaurant so we can’t afford to compete with them for business.” They’ve worked hard to keep the cost of production as low as possible. In fact, everything they do is on their own- from buying ingredients, to food prep, and even cleaning up after hours. “On any given day, although I’m only open for a couple hours in the afternoon and night, I end
up having to work upwards of 6-8 hours more- so 10-12 hours in total when it comes to work hours in a day,” said Yang. Due to constantly juggling both work and taking care of her two children, who are still in elementary school, she only gets to relax a little on her days off before getting right back into business . She spends upwards of 60 hours each week toiling away.
Prices of ingredients aren’t the only thing that’s gone up- costs of labor have significantly increased as well. “Generally as a business
standard you have 20% or 30% of your money going towards labor,” Logue reveals. “While it’s cheaper to pay front of house staff, as they receive tips and such, all of our back of house staff are salaried, earning a flat sum.” Texas’s minimum wage for regular employees is $7.25, with front of house staff minimum wages being even lower, at $2.13, as long as they make tips up to $7.25. If not, the company has to reimburse the worker up to minimum wage. However, these numerics can barely be classified as livable wages, so restaurants often have to pay a lot more than that to incentivize employees to work for them. This is especially prevalent in non-fast food industries, where people that work in the kitchen have to be professional enough to create restaurant-quality food. With large fast food chains, there’s another issue. In order to work with food in this industry, all employees are required to get a food handlers license. Jeff Salazar,
Assistant Manager atSchlotzsky’s, shares information on the topic: “In terms
Oftentimes people will come in and I’ll hear them say that they want to try opening a food truck too, ‘it seems so easy! You only have to open for lunch and dinner, you have so many customers, you must make a lot!’ I always tell them, ‘If I could relive my life, I wouldn’t ever want to open a food truck again!
-Shirley Yang
of having a food handlers license that costs about $79, and it’s up to the employee to grab it, or else you can’t work because you have to have a license to just touch around. It’s up to the employees in general for pretty much any job.” That can be
an extreme turn-off for new workers looking to get into the industry, forcing companies to have more enticing wages to get adequate employees.
Despite all the hard work and rough times financially, COVID has brought us
more appreciation for the little things in our world that we take for granted- like human interaction. When asked what the favorite part of their jobs were, both Logue and Yang replied that being able to interact with humans was the best part.
Being able to talk to all the customers and being able to meet so many new and different people from so many different cultures is just amazing, and through the interactions with these different people every day I’m also able to make new friends with a lot of people in the community.
- Shirley Yang Shirley Yang (right) and her husband (left) working at Song La pre-pandemic. Song La Food Truck, courtesy of The Daily Texan.Before we answer what causes inflation, first we must ask: What is inflation? Inflation is oftentimes defined as a general rise in prices across an economy. While a small amount of inflation is oftentimes harmless- or even a sign of growth within an economy, However, too much of it in a short period of time can render your hard earned money less valuable, making it harder to make a living. Inflation is caused by a rise in demand while a lack of supply persists. Because the amount of people who want to purchase certain goods is higher than the relative amount of goods are being brough into the economy, we are left with things costing more and more.
As inflation effectively decreases the value of your cash, it indirectly affects the cost of goods and services. However, due to inflation being a statistic of sorts of the rise in prices across an economy, it would be more accurate to describe it as what has happened to cause the rise in prices. The initial spurt of inflation was caused by COVID-19, which induced many issues within the supply chain, which meant the supply was lower than the demand, meaning prices of goods went up. To compound that, since the value of the money is lower, the cost for wages also becomes higher, further increasing the prices and leaving a self-promoting cycle.
Mr A My Jn Jl A S O N D Jy F Months (Mar. 2022 - Feb. 2023)
